GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay softball team extended its conference winning streak to four games as it picked up a pair of wins over UIC on Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Field.

Green Bay took game one, 5-4, before winning game two, 5-2, to improve to 21-11 overall and 8-4 in the Horizon League. UIC fell to 12-23 overall and 6-8 in the conference.

The Phoenix will look to sweep the series tomorrow in game three of the series at noon.

Game One: Green Bay 5, UIC 4 Rallying from an early deficit and slow start at the plate, the Green Bay softball team won game one of its doubleheader with UIC, 5-4, on Saturday afternoon.

Laura Swan put the Flames on the board first, hitting a leadoff home run to left field in the top of the second for a 1-0 advantage.

Held to just one hit over the first three innings, the Green Bay bats came alive in the home half of the fourth. Loading the bases with nobody out, freshman Allie Taylor (Waunakee, Wis.) delivered an RBI groundout before senior Stacey Butts (Greenfield, Wis.) connected on a blooper to short that allowed two more runs to score and put the Phoenix ahead, 3-1.

The Phoenix tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore Kelli Hutchinson (Trevor, Wis.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before scoring all the way first on an RBI double to deep left center by junior Hailey Mohrfeld (Menomonee Falls, Wis.). Sophomore Marissa Michalkiewicz (Appleton, Wis.) then stepped to the plate and dropped the ball in right center field allowing Mohrfeld to come home for a 5-1 lead.

UIC got two runs back in the top of the sixth inning. Paige Peterson led off with an infield single to the shortstop and moved to second on a single up the middle by Jacki Fletcher. Senior Ashley Nannemann (Burlington, Wis.) got her next batter faced to line out, but Jenna Marsalli then single to right field where Michalkiewicz misplayed the ball, allowing two runs to score and pull the Flames closer, 5-3.

UIC mounted a rally in the top of the seventh inning, putting two on with no outs before Natalie Hernandez brought in one run with an RBI single up the middle to get them to within one, 5-4. However, Nannemann retired her next two batters faced and after intentionally walking Laura Swan she got Jenna Marsalli to fly out to end the game.

Nannemann (7-7) threw her eighth complete game of the season, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks. At the plate, Michalkiewicz finished a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Game Two: Green Bay 5, UIC 2 Green Bay put a single run on the board in all but one inning and again had to hold off a pesky UIC squad late in the game as it took the second matchup of the doubleheader, 5-2.

With one out in the bottom of the first, senior Miranda Reinke (Milwaukee, Wis.) drilled a shot to deep right field for a triple to extend her hitting streak to 14 games and on-base streak to 17 games. She then scored as sophomore Marissa Michalkiewicz hit to UIC second baseman Jacki Fletcher, who misplayed the ball and allowed Reinke to score to put the Phoenix up, 1-0.

One inning later, sophomore Kelli Hutchinson (Trevor, Wis.) battled a full count with two outs before delivering an RBI double to left center to pad the Phoenix advantage, 2-0.

Loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the third, Green Bay tacked on one more run with an RBI infield single by freshman Allie Taylor (Waunakee, Wis.) to pad the advantage, 3-0.

UIC got one back in the top of the fourth on a two-out single from Laura Swan to cut the Phoenix lead to 3-1.

However, Green Bay got a single run in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI hits from senior Stacey Butts (Greenfield, Wis.) and sophomore Marissa Michalkiewicz (Appleton, Wis.), respectively, to put the team ahead 5-2.

Similar to the first game UIC threatened in the top of the seventh, putting two on before Courtney Heeley brought in one run, but freshman Heather Sanderson (Rapid River, Mich.) retired her final two batters faced en route to the win.

Sanderson threw a complete game effort, allowing two earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. Reinke and sophomore Ashley Baker (Green Bay, Wis.) both finished the day 2-for-3, while Michalkiewicz and Shannon Butts (Greenfield, Wis.) were 2-for-4.

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